Hawk Harrelson has a way with words

Near the beginning of the White Sox game tonight as I was somewhere between the cobra and the downward dog position in my third round of Salutations to the Sun, I heard the best sports announcing moment since the inevitable awesomeness that comes from female weightlifting in the Olympics. Hawk Harrelson, of Jim Thome, "Ride Jim hard tonight and put him away wet." Well, I think the downward dog mutated into some kind of retching cow and then fell over.

In the end Jim was 0 for 3 and the Twins, hanging out in Toronto and taking Labor Day off like good Americans, caught up with the White Sox and now share first place. I hope Thome's not too wet wherever he is tonight.

Yesterday the best thing all season happened

I knew it was coming only hours before, but I'd been wearing the jersey from the moment I heard the news. I remembered the terrible day, more than four years ago, when I heard he was leaving us and the curse of my favorite players began. The camera followed him up the back hallways of the Metrodome, grinning from ear-to-ear and he looked almost as happy as I felt.

"What's up Minnesota! Eddie G's in the house!"

I about cried with happiness.

The Twins lost and I had a blinding migraine, but Eddie Guardado shut down the 8th inning with 3 pop flyouts in his triumphant return to the Twins. All is right with the world.

If someone else said it better...

So, I recently went to Twinsfest, where I took lots of pictures of my feet on the field turf and of Walleye with the soon-to-be-painted-over pictures of Torii Hunter on the walls, got my 1991 World Series newspaper signed by Kent Hrbek himself (who joked with Bert Blyleven while I hyperventilated), looked at models of the new stadium and celebrated Morneau's and Cuddyer's new contracts. And then I returned to Chicago and spent several weeks in denial over the loss of Santana to the Mets (don't even ask about Hunter--that's still a cruel joke as far as I'm concerned). I had been trying to figure out what to say about it, and then I saw this article in the Hardball Times, which pretty much says it all. I don't hate Santana for this; I hope he does well (though I personally wish it had been for the Brewers or some other more deserving NL team). I'm just about tired out with the bullshit that Twins fans have to put up with from ownership, and despite all my previous arguments about the small market the team is in, I can not BELIEVE that Hunter and Santana were not worth opening the purse strings for. I'm starting to really question whether this team can return to World Series caliber if the ownership is never going to see another Kirby Puckett that they will invest in.

In case anyone forgot how amazing the Brewers are...

Not that it's the only item that proves my brilliance, but even I must say my picks for the all-star game were pretty amazing. Let's look past my Holliday vision and right now focus on how third baseman Ryan Braun became the first Brewers Rookie of the Year since 1992 (Pat Listach). And for the added drama he edged out Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the closest finish in history.

My dear, dear Ryan Braun- for whatever reason the eyebrows are working so keep it up! For those who don't know Mr. Braun got called up in the last weeks of May and then preceded to bat .324, led NL rookies with 34 home runs and a .634 slugging percentage. He drove in 97 RBIs and also managed to steal 15 bases.

I remain anxious for the pre-season....

Why I Believe in Veronica Mars

In an odd way I find justice that the Yankees are falling apart at the seams. I too have loved things and seen them fall apart despite my well wishing. I have seen great programs (VM and the '05 White Sox) endure pain they have not deserved, and I have mourned that loss. But recently, Yank Manager and Yank A-lister have been rumored to be leaving the "heaven of all heavens" aka the Yankee uniform. Leaving at the same time and in a sort of two for one deal headed towards the same place, LA... of all the gin joints in all the world. Please keep in mind the stats of the oh so many far fleeted Yank play off attempts, the lack of trophies, dollars, and their horrible cost-effective ratio... but the celebrity stock of free time in-fielders on E TV had gone up...so it's a wash, i guess by NY standards. Although, the Yank drama wouldn't get signed by the WB and yet you can still purchase it on DVD. (No justice....)
Back to point. The Brewers and Twins are not rebuilding this off-season; they are not "looking" for new life and new motivation with millions of dollars at their whim. They are training, they are practicing and they are embracing being grounded, skilled and very talented. Right now they embrace being a part of something that works, despite the Yank attempts at dislodging that.
Best of luck to the Yanks this off season with their millions of dollars being put towards their "re-structuring" efforts, and their unpublished trade agreements. Maybe this time they can steal a Red Sox who may actually help, and if not they always have their dollars and the 90's.

Sometimes I just love the numbers.

Prince Fielder just hit homerun number 50. At his age, he is now the youngest to be hitting number 50, his pace is super natural, surpassing even mr. wonderful. Lots of more stats to supplement his greatness are readily available. Ryan Braun is at 33 homeruns, since mid-year. Nicely done sirs. Brewers are 2 games out, with more then 2 days left to play. Right now, I feel the math and the gods are in the Brewers favor. Drink up everyone, the end of the world may have to wait a season...

it's not all about midwest love, the cubs are just as evil.

I remember when the Cubs were the Central League champions and were playing for the National League title against the Marlins. It was my first year of graduate school and we had just moved to Chicago from Milwaukee a year prior, and carried with us the typical Milwaukee angst for all things Chicago. However, I found myself that post season rooting for Chicago, rooting for the Cubs. For those 2 weeks I was cheering for the Cubs, and lots of those in my same bi-partisan frame of mind were doing the same. No harm done, right?
It has been brought to my attention that my hatred for the Yankees is based on “blind Midwest love” and a blanket appreciation for Midwest values that those fans from the east coast lack. This however, is not true. I know now that the Cubs are just as evil. There is a dying breed in baseball, and the Cubs and Yankees represent the unfortunate present and future of this sport where the purchased players win over the invested ones. I blame networks such as WGN and YES for spawning easy loyalty across the states, and bringing in half hearted, convenient fan revenue. The evil is rooted in celebrating high priced players, regardless of performance or means of purchase, in convenient fans who are easily swayed with excessive coverage, hyped up media, three-month mini-series, pink sport team shirts, high priced gimmicks and overpriced seating. This I feel the Cubs and Yankees have perfected. Do you have to win something before you can be hated? Is that why so many across the nation hate the Yankees, because of their past dynasty and their high priced “supposed” dominating players? No, its not all that. Fans hate the Yankees even if they haven’t stolen their players, even if they are in different divisions and leagues. Do you have to epically not win anything with a decent sized payroll to have a huge loyal fan base, is that why everyone loves the Cubs and Red Sox? No, because the Brewers and post 2005 White Sox have equally sob ridden histories and they have nowhere near the Cubs Red Sox following. I mean, one of the biggest goals of the White Sox is to become Chicago’s team, and regardless of winning the WST or being last in their division Chicago will never celebrate them and those truly loyal are still in small numbers. Does it all come back to the money? (In the comments I have posted a break down I found of the 2007/2006 payrolls and the payroll change.) I need to research player by player, salary relevant to individual and overall performance, somewhere there must be a logical explanation to why I find myself hating that the Cubs are the division rival to the Brewers more then I would the Cardinals. But yet, I am not comforted that despite the Brewers post all-star performance they are still in their position with 30m less to work with. Like I said, teams like the Brewers and the Twins represent the old way of managing and fielding baseball teams. It was proposed in an earlier post that its up to the Twins to do what needs to be done to keep Santana, that they need to play by these new business rules to stay competitive and give over the salaries that teams like the Yankees, and Cubs have defined, regardless of loyalty and investment. They have the means to do it; the ends are justified go-ahead drink the Yankee kool-aid, all ends up all right….
But, it’s not all right, it never will be. And if you cannot see why then I must assume you follow the likes of the Yankees and you can’t see all the harm that was caused by me just sitting and watching the Cubs for those brief weeks four years ago.